When I say this, I mean in the most literal sense, what books leave you sat absolutely speechles, completely and utterly distraugh? I recently finished the secret history, which I found weirdly depressing, just at the way in which Richard lost most meaningful connections with the majority of the people he meets throughout the book. For some reason, the feeling it left me with gave me a huge appreciation for the book itself, being able to convey such emotions so easily, and I’d like to find books that do the same thing on a substantially greater scale.
by Iamahomosexualdude
28 Comments
jude the obscure
In the most beautiful sense, William Maxwell’s So Long, See You Tomorrow / They Came Like Swallows 💔
Just finished Ethan Frome. Not a mood lifter.
{{The Four Winds}} is depressing from beginning to end, but it is so well written and captivating that I could not put it down…
A Little Life
Under the Volcano
The Road. Will never read it again, just beyond bleak, particularly for female characters.
‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy
‘A Little Life’ by Hanya Yanagihara
Between the two I may never be happy again.
The Yellow Wallpaper
The Hot Zone. Profoundly upsetting. True recounting of an Ebola outbreak. I read it over 25 yrs ago and it still haunts me. It has never once left my mind.
Yet another vote for The Road. Bleaker than bleak.
The Road. Nothing else compares.
One happy scene in the whole book.
Angela’s Ashes. So very depressing but I couldn’t quit reading as I thought “what else could go wrong?”
Broken Child by Marcia Cameron
I who have never known men
Pachinko is devastating in a very true to life way. It has that feeling of just watching normal people experience the absolute worst moments of their lives.
spilled milk was absolutely heart wrenching and its based on a true story
Douglas Stuart- Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo.
We Need to Talk About Kevin.
All Quiet on the Western Front. Also, as others have said… The Road.
Grapes of Wrath for sure.
A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
How High We Go In The Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu……it’s a book that only needs to be read once. It’ll haunt you.
Demon Copperhead broke my heart.
Johnny got his gun
Bible
Water for Elephants
On the Beach by Nevil Shute. I had just had a baby. It was so depressing, my milk dried up.